Electric switch



NOV. 13, 1951 5 LANGLEY 2,574,745

LECTRIC SWITCH Filed Feb. s, 1950 5 Sheets-Sheet l l im ,45, 16min N156/M i i531 a6. Af/324mm S. LANGLEY ELECTRIC SWITCH Nov., 13, 1951 5Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 5, 1950 /71 'rfa/may Nov. 13, 1951 s. LANGLEY2,574,745

ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Feb. s, 195o a sheets-sheet 5 Patented Nov. 13,1951 ELECTRIC SWITCH Stanley Langley,

Toronto, Ontario, Canada, as-

signor to Amalgamated Electric Corporation, Limited, Toronto, Ontario,Canada, a corporation of Canada Application February 3, 1950, Serial No.142,211 In Canada January 10, 1950 7 Claims. i

This invention relates to power distribution switches of the safetytype, and more particularly to the switch enclosure and means foroperating.

It is an object of this invention to provide an enclosed switch wherebythe switch contacts can be closed only by closing the cover.

. It is a further object of this invention to provide an enclosed switchwhereby the switch contacts are opened by opening the cover.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an enclosed switchwith means for closing the cover with the switch in the 01T position.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an enclosed switchhaving an operating handle on the cover which provides a mechanicaladvantage in forcing the contacts closed cr open.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an enclosed switchhaving a guard which prevents closing the cover except in predeterminedfashion.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an enclosed switchhaving means for making a quick break.

A further understanding of the invention may be had by reference to thedrawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the switch with the cover ajar.

Fig. 2 is a detail of the operating mechanism with section 3-3 shown inFig. 3 and section |G-IU shown in Fig. 10.

Fig. 3 is section 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detail of the operating mechanism with the operating handlein the position necessary to initiate closing.

Fig. 5 is a detail of the operating mechanism with the operating handlemoved a part of its closing rotary travel.

Fig. 6 is a detail of the operating mechanism in the fully closedposition.

Fig. 7 is a detail of the operating mechanism with the operating handlecommencing its opening rotary travel.

Fig. 8 is a detail of the operating mechanism with the operating handlemoved its full opening rotary travel.

Fig. 9 is a detail of the operating handle indexing mechanism.

Figs. 10 and 11 are details in section of the operating handle indexingmechanism in an indexed and non-indexed position, respectively.

Figs. 12 and 13 are details of the contacts mounted on the cover withthe contacts in the on and 01T position. respectively.

Section |4--I4'of Fig. 12 is shown irl-Fig. 14.

The same numerals are used to designate particular parts throughout theillustrative figures.

Referring now to Fig. l, the enclosure has a cover 2 hinged at 3. Theoperating handle 4 is pivotally mounted by pin 5 on handle mounting 6attached to cover 2. Insulating baille I has openings 8--8 which allowthe movable contacts 9 9', mounted on cover 2, to enter and engage livecontacts mounted on the enclosure behind baille openings 8 8. Baleprovides a dead front when the cover is open and also serves as an arcquench when breaking an energized circuit. Contacts 9-9 are conductivelyconnected so thatengagement with the live contacts closes the circuitbetween those live contacts. Ventilating holes ill on the top and bottomof enclosure I have a staggered relation to permit mounting severalswitches adjacently on a rack without forming a continuous passage fromone switch to the next. In the embodiment of Fig. 1, space is providedin the enclosure for mounting fuses Access to the cable connector isfrom the side of the enclosure and is not shown.

Operating handle 4 has embossments |2-|2' and |3-|3 which form part ofthe indexing mechanism described below. Drillings I5 in the handlemounting and I4 in the operating handle provide means for applying alocking device when the switch is in the closed position, as forexample, by means of a padlock 34 illustrated in Fig. 9.

Referring to Figs. 2 and 3 embossments IS--IS and spring I1 cooperatewith embossments |2-|2' and |3-I3 of Fig. 1 to index the operatinghandle in a manner described below. Operating handle 4 has an extensionI8 which bears against fulcrum surfaces I9 and 2U to lever the switchclosed and open respectively. Guard member 2| is pivotally mounted onenclosure I by pin 22 and equipped with restoring spring 23.

In Fig. 4, the operating handle 4 is in the particular position requiredto initiate closing. Finger 24 of handle extension |8 enters indent 25of guard 2| and forces stop surface 26 of guard 2| against fulcrumsurface 2U, preventing contact 9 from engaging live contact 2l. Also,with the handle 4 in any other position, extension I3 interferes withguard 2| and/or projection 28 preventing closure of the cover andmaintaining a separation of contacts 9 and 21. Entry of nger 24 inindent 25 permits operating handle 4 to mesh with guard 2| so thatclockwise rotation of handle 4 displaces guard 2| in a counterclockwisedirection. Projection 42 of guard 2| rides on surface 43 of handleextension I8 maintaining separation of contacts 9 and 21 during theinitial rotation of handle 4. Rotation of the handle 4 as describedbrings the mechanism to the position illustrated in Fig. 5. Contact 9begins to engage contact 21 and lever surface 28 of handle extension ,i8bears on fulcrumssurface I9. Further rotation of @handle 4 levers theswitch fully closed with contacts 9 and 21 engaged as shown in Fig. 6.

Starting frointhe closed position of Fig. 6, theY operation of openingthe switch is illustrated by Fig. '1. Counterclockwis-eA rotationofhandle 4 brings lever surface 29 of handle extension I8 to bear onfulcrum surface 29, forcing contacts 9 and 21 to partially disengage.Full counterclockwise rotation of handle 4 brings themechanism to theposition illustrated in'Fg. 8. Con` tacts 9 and 21 are left suiicientlyengaged to carry current temporarily. Pulling the handle completes thedisengagement of the contacts, and their sudden release provides a quickbreak.

`Therotary motion of the handle 4 is followed by guard 2l by virtue ofrestoring spring 23. Completing the opening operation by means of a pull'allows the guard 2l to restore to the guard position,` as shown in Fig.4.

Operation of the switch is facilitated by positively indexing `theoperating handle 4 in the position required to initiate closing and inthe fully closed position. The rotary travel'of the operating handle 4is conned by stop surfaces 3| and 32, Fig. 8, coming into contact withthe cover. Positive indexing at these extremes of handle travel isprovided by embossments IG-I 6',

Fig. 2, on the handle mounting nesting in em- -orderto illustrate therelativepositions of the contacts with respect to the operatingmechanism'.

Asectiongtransverse to the axis of rotation of the movable contactmounting, is shown in Fig. 12. Contact 9 has a support 33 of insulatingymaterial hinged on cover 2 by pin 31 working turnably in bracket 46.Screw 5l] clamps sup- `port 35, spacer 41 and pin 31 together'by meansof a tapped hole in projection 51 of pin 31. Support 3Shas stop surfaces42 and 43 which act on .the cover to limit rotation. When contact 9 isapproximately normal to the cover, as in Fig.

l2, closing the cover engages contact 9 with its mating contact mountedon the enclosure. When contactv 9 is approximately parallel tothe cover,as in Fig. 13, the mating contacts cannot engage. These two positions ofcontact 9 correspond, respectively, to the on and olf conditions of theswitch. i

Referring again to Fig. 12, support 36 has fastened to it an arcuateindicator 44 viewable lfrom outside the cover 2 through aperture 45,which indicates the on or off condition.

Referring to Fig. l, aperture 45 exposes the .indicator in the onposition. Y

Referring now to Fig. 13, cover 2 has mounted on it a Spring memberhaving a hat portion 4l. Camv surfaces 38 and 39 acting on the datspring portion 4l serve to positively index contact 9 in the on and offpositions respectively.

Section l4-l4 of Fig. 12 is shown in Fig. 14. Pin 31 is turnably mountedin bracket 43. Projection51 ofipin 31 has a. tapped hole 48 by whichmeans screw 5D .clamps-support 36, spacer 41 and pin 31 together.Contacts 9--9 have a tapped hole 52 by which means screw 5I clampscontacts 9 9' to support 36.

In order to permit alignment of contacts 9-9 with the mating contacts onthe enclosure, projection 51 is made narrower than the space between theuprights of bracket 46, and spacer 41 is madewithfan elongated hole 49.This permits adjustment of contacts 9-9 along the axis of pin 31 whenscrew 53 is slackened. When screw 59 is tightened, spacer 41 preventssubsequent lateral movement by acting on the upper portion of bracket46, which upper portion is removed by the section of Fig. 14 but isshown in Fig. 13 at 53.

What is claimed is:

l. In a switch mechanism having an enclosure with rst contacts mountedthereon anda cover hinged thereto with second contacts engageable withsaid rst Vcontacts mounted thereon, the combination of an operatingmember pivotally mounted on said cover, and a guard memberdisplaceably1mounted on said enclosure, projecting means on said operating memberacting on said guard member to maintain separation of said firstcontacts from said second Icontacts whenmade to approach by motion ofthe cover, and means on said operating member meshable with meanson saidguard member whereby rotation of said operating member from a specificinitial position displaces said guard member to a non-interferingposition.

2. A switch mechanism as described in claim 1, said guard member havinga proled surface including projecting means acting von said operatingmember, wherebythe spacing apart of said rst contacts and said secondcontacts is maintained during an initial portion of the travel of saidoperating member.

3. A switch mechanism having an enclosure with a guard member mountedpivotally thereon, a cover hinged to said enclosure with an operatingmember pivotally mounted thereon, means on said operating membermeshable with means on said `guard member when said cover is swungtowards said enclosure Ywith saidoperating member in a specificposition, said guard member being rotatable by rotation of saidoperating member when meshed, means on said operating member acting onsaid guard member when meshed whereby a spaced relation ismainvtainedbetween first contacts mounted on said enclosure and second contactsmounted on said cover during an initialrotation of said operatingmember, and means on said operating member actingon means on saidguard'member to displace said guard member to a non-interferingpositionduring a'further rotation of said operating member, said displacementpermitting said second contacts to approach and engage said firstcontacts at a position in which levering means on said operatingmemberbegins .to engagea fulcrum iixed to said enclosure. l

4. A switch mechanism as described in claim 3 having rst contactsmounted on said enclosure and second contamtsl mountedon said cover andmovable relative thereto, saidy rstcontactsand said second contactsbeing brought into engagement or non-engagement by said further rotationdepending on the setting of said second contacts relative to said cover.

5. In a switch mechanism having an enclosure with a cover hingedthereto, the combination of an operating member pivotally mounted on thecover and a guard member pivotally mounted on the enclosure, means onsaid operating member meshable with means on said guard member wherebyrotation of said operating member from a specific position causes saidguard member to rotate, profiled surfaces on said operating member incontact with proled surfaces on said guard member during such rotation,said proled surface on said guard member including in sequence a raisedportion, and a portion recessed relative thereto, said raised portionmaintaining a space relation between rst contacts mounted on saidenclosure and second contacts mounted on said cover during an initialrotation of said operating member, and said recessed portion acting onsaid operating member to displace said guard member to a non-interferingposition during a further rotation, and means on said operating memberacting on means on said enclosure whereby a further rotation of saidoperating member moves said second :contacts closer to said rstcontacts.

6. In a switch mechanism as described in claim 5, means mounting saidsecond contacts movably on said cover, said means permitting positioningof said second contacts for engagement or nonengagement with said rstcontacts during said further rotation of said operating member, and

means viewable exteriorly to the cover indicating said positioning ofsaid second contacts.

7. A switch mechanism in which the relative position of rst contactsmounted in an enclosure and second conta-cts mounted on a cover hingedto said enclosure, is controlled, during the initial closing rotarytravel of an operating member pivotally mounted on said cover andprojecting therethrough by said operating member acting on adisplaceable guard member pivotally mounted on said enclosure; iscontrolled during a, further closing rotary travel of Said operatingmember by said operating member levering against a rst fulcrum mountedin said enclosure, said guard member being displaced to anon-interfering position by said operating member; and is controlledduring the opening rotary travel of said operating member by saidoperating member levering against a second fulcrum mounted in saidenclosure.

STANLEY LANGLEY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 528,900 Bolles Nov. 6, 1894728,195 Brady May 19, 1903 1,342,563 More June 8, 1920 1,436,622 HortonNov. 21, 1922 1,729,864 Brown Oct. 1, 1929 1,935,512 Massey Nov. 14,1933 2,267,704 Abel Dec. 30, 1941

